The Best 'Chainsaw Man' Character Isn't Denji

The Big Picture

Chainsaw Man is a gore-infested, devil-filled anime that follows the Public Safety Devil Hunters' battle against death-threatening devils in Japan.
Aki Hayakawa, the badass mentor and deuteragonist, possesses lethal devil contracts with the Curse Devil, Fox Devil, and Future Devil, making him nearly unstoppable in combat.
Aki's tear-jerking past, including the loss of his family to the Gun Devil, motivates him to seek revenge and protect innocent people, making him a ruthlessly empathetic hero.

Chainsaw Man was one of 2022's most anticipated arrivals onto the shōnen anime scene, and newer fans of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s masterpiece have been eager to learn what the gore-infested, devil craze is all about! The original story follows the Public Safety Devil Hunters, a government agency devoted to protecting citizens from death-threatening devils across Japan. After Denji (Toya Kikunosuke), a young man without a home or family, is suddenly murdered by the Yakuza, his pet, dog-like devil, Pochita, offers him a deal to merge their bodies together. Miraculously, the teenager is revived and granted the power to transform his body parts into chainsaws, and Denji joins the Tokyo Special Division 4, where he meets extraordinary devil hunters, including Makima (Kusunoki Tomori), Power (Fairouz Ai), Himeno (Ise Mariya), and — of course — his badass mentor Aki Hayakawa (Sakata Shougo). Without the guidance of his compelling best pal, Denji would have easily lost himself in the chaotic purge of devil slaying. The deuteragonist may seem coldhearted on the outside, but Aki proves himself to be the most prominent figure in the show from his determined motivation, silent, caring demeanor, and bittersweet backstory that make him irresistible for new and loyal fans of the sensational animated series.

Aki Possesses Some of the Most Lethal Devil Contracts

Chainsaw Man is set in an alternative 1997 world where bloodthirsty devils, appearing as a representation of humans' greatest fears, secretly exist among the public community. To gain supernatural abilities, humans can make verbal-binding contracts with these powerful devils by giving up something the Devil finds valuable — which could be anything from a body part, to a sense, or even a lifespan. At the start of the anime, Aki is seen to have already made contracts with the Curse Devil and Fox Devil. The Curse Devil grants Aki the power of a nail-like sword that can be used to kill any enemy by stabbing the target three times. The curse is, every time he uses the sword, a portion of his lifespan is shortened. This contract alone not only shows just how gutsy Aki really is, but it also demonstrates his sheer commitment to his job and towards his ultimate goal, even if it means he dies in the process.

In Episode 4 titled "Rescue", the audience is first introduced to the breathtaking ability of Aki's contract with the Fox Devil. By feeding him a piece of his body, Aki can summon the teleporting power of the Fox Devil by simply forming his hand in the shape of a fox head and saying the name "Kon." The Fox Devil then appears at the location of the devil hunter and can either bite the enemy whole or swallow it for the kill, as seen in the attack on the Leech Devil. This mind-blowing fight can easily be a sealing moment for incoming fans to continue watching the anime.

Later on, Aki faces off with the Katana Man, a Devil-human hybrid, and recklessly uses the power of the Fox Devil too many times. With an indifference to the taste of hybrid devils, Aki loses favor with Kon after this incident, additionally losing the power to summon him. Despite this loss, Aki's character doesn't lose his coolness as he soon forms another stunning contract with the Future Devil — who must live in his right eye in exchange for the ability to see into the future for a few seconds. Aki can use this influential power during combat in order to predict his enemy's next attacks, making the Public Safety member nearly unstoppable in hand-to-hand combat.

Aki's Tear-Jerking Past Is the Backbone of 'Chainsaw Man'

In the first season of the fantasy thriller, the biggest threat and main objective of the Public Safety agency is to eliminate the Gun Devil, the almighty, archenemy of Aki Hayakawa. The audience sees a flashback of Aki's past during a snowy winter. On a normal day, Aki and his sickly little brother go outside for a snowball fight. Aki becomes worried his brother will catch a cold, urging him to go back inside to grab some gloves, when reality is soon wiped away into a nightmare. Aki watches his brother enter the house, and within seconds, his home is obliterated from existence! Little did he know that his family was only part of the 1.2 million lives that the Gun Devil's extraordinary power affected in a five-minute attack on the same day.

This scene is one of the most shocking moments to witness, giving Aki's motivation to kill the Gun Devil for his family's revenge to be of a higher stake than the rest of the devil hunters. His obsession with the Gun Devil forced Aki to grow up very quickly, and his reasons for swearing to protect innocent people make him a ruthlessly, empathic hero. Aki's backstory proves to be one of the most important blueprints for the gorey series which keeps the anticipation high for the next steps of his plan to take down the Gun Devil.

Where to Watch 'Chainsaw Man’

The hack-and-slash anime takes gore to a whole other level!

Aki May Be an Introvert, But He's Got a Big Heart

The anime industry has a reputation for reusing the same archetypes for its main characters — one of them being the "Kuudere" type. Often portrayed as cold, stoic, and expressionless, these characters seem unapproachable at first glance, but once they let down their walls, they usually reveal a deeper, emotional side to them. Aki Hayakawa is no exception!

With the demeanor of a cool, sad-boy, Aki is someone who tends to keep people at a distance. His close friend and first co-partner, Hinemo, is the only one he feels most comfortable with. The show gives glimpses of their earlier relationship when Hinemo influences Aki to start smoking. Later, the Ghost Devil contractor develops feelings for him, but Aki cannot reciprocate. Despite their platonic relationship, Aki holds Hinemo dear to him, always putting effort into ensuring her safety on the job. When Denji joins the division, the pair starts off hating each other; they quickly come to understand the extent of each other's powers which forms a mutual respect. On Makima's orders, Aki even succumbs to the task of hosting Denji as a temporary roommate, still finding him obnoxious, and he grows to regard Denji as a little brother.

Aki might be holding an aura of apathetic detachment, nonetheless, it's all a facade. Deep down, the highly skilled, devil hunter is just a lonely victim burdened from the loss of his beloved family — carrying revengeful pain for the rest of his remaining lifetime. He will do anything to keep his friends at bay from suffering at the cost of his own mistakes, and this dedication alone makes him one of the most sympathetic figures in the series. The upcoming seasons of Chainsaw Man will surely allow the depth of Aki Hayakawa's character to boil up to his full potential of being not only the most skilled devil hunter in the Public Safety agency but also the most noteworthy character the story needs in order to defeat the invincible Gun Devil.